Golf game and instructional apparatus



Nov. 16, 1948. H. C. DUNFEE GOLF GAME AND INSTRUCTIONAL APPARATUS Filed March 22, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

aw n m a H 1 5 m Y m B 7 A Nov. 16, 1948. H. c. DUNFEE 2,453,745

GOLF GAME AND INSTRUCTIONAL APPARATUS Filed March 22, 1945 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVEN TOR.

N YEZ.

I ATZOAWEYS Patented Nov. 16, 1948 GOIT AN D INSTRUCTIONAL APPARATUS HodiGlarencer.Dunfee,.Miami; Ela;

Application March-'22, 1945, Serial No.- 584160 1: Claim (01. 273-.-35-).

The object of" the presentiinvention ist'o provide a -new and useful game apparatus which is very inexpensive to build and equip; one which willgive low cost enjoyment topersons of all ages and those of moderate means and one which canbe erected on ordinary size lots or in large rooms, such as store-rooms in the heart of cities. The apparatus may also be made to be readily dismantled and easily portablesothat it may beused at fairs, carnivals and other short time stands or on short lease spots. As this. description proceeds it will be seen that the apparatus is adapted to teach-.the game of golf andthat the game;played; thereonsimulates the game? of golf in many respects.

his afurther object of the invention to incorporate the. several elements ofthe apparatus in a structure which will present a pleasing and; if desired, a carnival-like appearance.

In the accompanying drawings, int which like reference characters designatetcorresp'cnding parts throughout the several views":

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic plan: view illustrating the generalrelationship of theeseveral elements Ofi. the device".

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view-througl'rza por tion only of one of the targets.

Fig. 3 is a transversesectionalview through a portion only of the playing fieldeupon line 3-3;of j

Fig". 1 illustrating two only of the-targetszupon an enlarged scale and illustrating the putting wickets in advance of the target net,

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view upon line 4-4 of Fig. 1 illustrating the ball retrieving runway.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through the target net, runway and putting wickets of one of the units of the apparatus.

This apparatus may be embodied in many different forms and supported in many different ways. The form shown in the accompanying drawings is chosen merely for purposes of explanation and the invention is not limited thereto. The apparatus comprises a net-like structure IE] that is held suspended in a vertical plane, and carries a group of target outlines l l the spaces between which are numbered from 3 to I and which outlines complementally make up the targets T. The spaces within the central outlines are numbered 2 and bells at the centers of the target are numbered l, or are considered, in the play, to represent a hole in one shot when'struck. A cloth web may be used in lieu of the net and the outlines ll may be painted thereon. However I prefer to employ a structure wherein the wire meshzn-et: 5i hasath'enutlines I l; formed by weaving tapes IQ: through: the wire. mesh. This gives, a structure that is; highly resistant to the weather, that 1520f low cost-andris of'such an open nature that the wind cannot. get a destructive. hold. thereon. Furthermore by making thetapes l2 of varying; colorsI may impart a gay and carnivallikeappearanceto.;the whole.

7 Any suitable way; maybe employed of holding theznet l0 inwvertical. suspension. I prefer to support it from poles. or posts l3 by means of ropes and pulleys? so that it may be easily. lowered upon approach of alsevere storm or when it is desired to transport it to some other location. By referring to Figures 1, 3 and 5, it will be seen thatlthenet' I0 is held. by the ropes M in spaced relation to:-the.poles l3 and-that thenet is wholly unattached to-the polesthroughout its height, at itsside edges. This provides a structure which willstoprballs deadf without rebound and drop themsubstantially directly vertically into trough l5.. Eurther, thefaot that the net I!) is common to a plurality of lanes of play not only provides a golf practice apparatus. which is highly profitablewhen operatedupon a commercial basis, but it, makesv the, net. highly flexible without, such elasticity as would. cause. rebound of the balls. This flexibility without elasticity is what stops the balls, dead. without rebound.

In..Eig. l; I. have: indicated that the fieldis divided into 6 lanes, L. Each lane leads to one of the targets T. A group of putting wickets 15 extends across each lane in advance of the net [0 and the wickets thereof are numbered in accordance with the spaces between the target outlines I l of the main targets T. Balls which strike the net, as well as the balls shot through the putting wickets l5 enter a trough l6 which extends across the field at the base of the target net and which conducts the balls to the side of the field where they are collected in buckets or pails disposed in a pit I! at the end of the trough. Thus it is not necessary for the attendant to cross the lanes of play to retrieve the balls.

The rules of play may be varied within wide ranges. However as illustrating one method of use of the described apparatus I may say that the player may use a conventional driver club, fairway iron and putter or any one of these alone.

For a game the player is given twenty balls, two to warm up on and eighteen to play the game, corresponding to eighteen holes of golf. If chipping or driving or putting separately are desired by the player he plays the eighteen balls and scores the numbers where he hits, aiming at the bell I the total constituting the score for the game. The length of the lanes in proportion to the size of the targets is designedly made such that a seventy two par represents an average degree of skill upon the part of the player.

When playing with all the clubs the player starts with the driver. If he hits 5, 6, or 7 or misses the target altogether, which represents an 8, he is far from his aim and then uses the fairway club. If he then hits a 2, 3 or 4 he is considered to be within putting distance and uses the putter to play for the putting arches or wickets, each time scoring the numbers he hits with each of the balls played. Then he goes back to the driver again for the next hole and repeats this procedure until the 18 balls are exhausted. There may be any number of lanes. I

have illustrated 6 in the diagrammatic view Fig. 1. For each lane there is a tee t and a set of putting wickets.

One way to support the net is by the vertical posts l3 and I prefer to make these posts in such number that there is a vertical post at each end of the net and a post backing up the net behind each line of division between the separate targets. Thus the impact of a ball driven by one player will not move the net so violently as to prevent an adjacent player properly seeing and registering his score. One apparatus which I have constructed and operated is sixty feet wide twenty feet high and seventy five feet long and these proportions satisfactorily establish a par seventy two. The game may be played as a twosome, foursome, etc., scoring the sides as sides are scored in bowling. v

The sides of the field may be enclosed with wire mesh, panels or otherwise and it may be roofed by the same to prevent wild balls from going astray. However this is common to various game devices and forms no part of the invention. The structure may be used for chipping (pitchmg) and the putting element may be employed alone.

I am aware of the fact that it is not new to impose target outlines upon vertical surfaces. However as far as I am aware I' am the first to associate such targets with lanes of such length as to permit the driving of golf balls therealong and to associate with such lanes putting elements, such as the wickets, having the described relaview whatever changes fairly come within either the terms or the spirit of the appended claim.

What I claim is: A game apparatus comprising a field of play, divided into a plurality of lanes of play which ,4 lanes extend lengthwise of said field, a flexible net extending across the rear ends of said lanes and suspended to yield rearwardly over all points of its surface, a plurality of targets carried by said net, one for each lane of play, and each target comprising a. plurality of spaced concentric lines of material flexible enough to also yield with the net, a row of putting wickets across each of the lanes of play, said wickets being spaced from the bottom edge of said net, and a ball return trough extending across all of the lanes of play and located close enough to the bottom of the net to receive balls which fall directly downwardly from said net and also located to receive the balls which pass through said wickets.

HOD CLARENCE DUNFEE.

REFERENCES CITED UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 143,047 West et al. Sept. 23, 1873 702,828 Smith June 17, 1902 1,012,820 Cory Dec. 26, 1911 1,116,555 Brewster 1 Nov. 10, 1914 1,587,295 Gammeter June 1, 1926 1,656,718 Bickford Jan. 1.7, 1928 1,703,672 Housden Feb. 26, 1929 1,719,240 Scanlan July 2, 1929 1,745,201 Alston Jan. 28, 1930 1,995,384 Fletcher Mar. 26, 1935 2,092,965 Forcier Sept. 14, 1937 2,232,569 Johnson Feb. 18, 1941 2,379,663 Smith July 3, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 16,272 Great Britain 1905 

